North America’s first megawatt truck charge lands in California — a milestone for heavy-duty EVs and charging readiness
In San Bernardino, California, Kempower, Windrose and EV Realty completed North America’s first recorded Megawatt Charging System session, demonstrating 1.2 MW sustained charging for heavy-duty trucks and marking a major step toward fleet-ready, high-power EV infrastructure.
Key takeaways
- First North American MCS session: Kempower, Windrose and EV Realty completed the inaugural test at EV Realty’s San Bernardino hub (Electric Drives; Electrek; Charged EVs).
- High-power hardware: The site uses a 1,200 kW Kempower Power Unit feeding two Mega Satellite MCS dispensers capable of 1.2 MW and 1,500 amps with liquid-cooled cables (Electrek; Charged EVs).
- Interoperability verified: The session used a Windrose long-haul truck and demonstrated cross-brand compatibility, important for mixed fleets (Electric Drives; Charged EVs).
- Near-term availability: EV Realty expects the San Bernardino hub to open in April 2026 (Electric Drives; Electrek).
Key information
Kempower, Windrose and EV Realty completed the first recorded MCS session in North America at EV Realty’s San Bernardino hub; reporting and coverage include Electric Drives, Electrek and Charged EVs.
Why the test matters
Megawatt-class charging exceeds typical fast chargers and is designed specifically to deliver more than 1 MW of power. That capacity shortens charging time for heavy-duty trucks, reduces downtime and increases daily miles moved per truck — improving the economics of long-haul electric trucking (Charged EVs; Electric Drives; Electrek).
Inside the San Bernardino test
EV Realty’s San Bernardino hub is purpose-built for heavy-duty charging. The session used a 1,200 kW Kempower Power Unit feeding two Kempower Mega Satellite MCS dispensers: a system that can push up to 1.2 MW and 1,500 amps continuously. Liquid-cooled cables manage heat at those power levels, keeping sessions stable and safe and shortening truck turnaround times (Electrek; Charged EVs).
Interoperability and real-world readiness
A major industry question has been where trucks will plug in and whether hardware will interoperate. This session used Windrose’s electric long-haul truck and confirmed the Kempower Mega Satellite MCS can function with truck hardware in a real-world setting — an important validation for mixed-brand fleets and truck makers preparing MCS-capable models (Electric Drives; Charged EVs).
Voices from the project
“We are building sites that can serve any heavy-duty truck, including those utilizing MCS. This test confirms that we will be ready for real-world MCS charging when the trucks hit the road later this year.”
— Suncheth Bhat, chief commercial officer at EV Realty (Electrek; Charged EVs)
Jed Routh, vice president at Kempower, described the milestone as a “major step for heavy-duty charging in the region,” noting Kempower’s MCS deployments in Europe and the importance of validating the technology in North America (Charged EVs; Electrek).
Network builds and parallel projects
EV Realty says this was not a one-off demo: the company is building multiple heavy-duty sites designed for MCS so fleets have reliable places to charge when trucks enter commercial service later this year. Nearby efforts include WattEV’s large San Bernardino hub planned to serve up to 200 trucks daily and other megawatt-capable projects in the region, indicating a growing network of high-capacity charging (Electrive; Automotive World).
Policy, incentives and utility work
California policy supports MCS adoption through programs like EnergIIZE, run by CalStart and supported by the California Energy Commission, which helps fleets and sites access higher-power charging and utility upgrades. Utilities and private developers are working on larger-capacity builds to feed megawatt sites (CalStart).
Other regional and industry context
MCS testing has also been active in Europe, including Windrose and Autel trials in the Netherlands. In California, operators are building megawatt-ready hubs of varying scale — from single-MW nodes to multi-megawatt stations for large fleets — supporting different use cases from regional to line-haul freight (Charged EVs; Electric Drives; Electrive).
Implications for Los Angeles, California
Economic impact: Los Angeles’ freight and port activity stands to benefit from nearby megawatt charging, which can reduce idle time and lower operating costs by increasing daily miles per truck. The San Bernardino hub — under an hour from parts of L.A. traffic — provides additional capacity for local carriers to use or plan around (Electrek; Electrive).
Political consequences: Officials backing zero-emission trucking can cite this test as evidence that infrastructure is catching up, potentially strengthening policy and grant efforts — though coordinating the necessary utility upgrades across Southern California remains a planning challenge (CalStart).
Social effects: Cleaner trucks can improve air quality along goods-movement corridors near communities in L.A., but planners must address traffic impacts, workforce transitions and site siting to balance benefits and local concerns.
Practical applications for fleets and drivers
For local trucking companies and drivers running regional and long-haul routes, MCS sites near L.A. mean shorter waits and more predictable schedules. Fleets ordering long-range, MCS-capable trucks can map routes with fewer charging risks. Maintenance crews and site operators will require training and updated protocols to manage liquid-cooled connections and high-power operations (Charged EVs; Electric Drives).
Ongoing watch points
Stakeholders will monitor how quickly additional MCS stations come online, the pace of utility upgrades, and truck makers’ delivery of MCS-ready models. The San Bernardino test proves technical feasibility; broader deployment depends on coordinated funding, grid capacity and community-sensitive siting (CalStart; Electrek; Charged EVs).
Sources and further reading: Electric Drives; Electrek; Charged EVs; CalStart; Electrive; Automotive World.
